Use Army efficiently for national security: Lt Col(retd) Bhat

New Delhi, Dec 13 (UNI) The government should make a more efficient and purposeful use of the Army for national defence and security, according to Lt Col (retd) Anil Bhat.

''There should be optimum use of information for national security. It was only after 9/11 that the West woke up to the fact that India had been facing terrorism and that it was sponsored by Pakistan,'' Lt Col Bhat told newspersons on the release of his book 'Information and Security: Where Truth Lies?' Lamenting India's policy towards terrorism, Lt Col Bhat, recipient of the Vishishth Seva Medal, said, ''Our armed forces are powerful, there is no dearth of talent in the intelligence services as well, but what can be done when our government's policy itself is weak? ''It is high time that the political leadership realised that India has been tolerating so much bloodshed. Terrorism has transcended form Jammu and Kashmir to every part of the country, besides its ever increasing export here.'' Talking to UNI, Lt Col Bhat opined that India should stop being a soft country and questioned the kind of message being given to the world by not carrying out the death sentence awarded to Afzal guru, the convict in the Parliament attack.

''What is the point in saying that we have the best army in the world? It's not that they are useless but the talent available like that of the intelligence services is never used properly. In India, the priorities are different. Look at what was done to the influx into this country from Bangladesh! Rather than sending them back, they were made into a vote bank.'' The book 'Information and Security' delves into the crucial aspects of the linkage between information and its use for the country's well-being.